New Hampshire is one of several states on both the East and West Coast that can boast a seacoast and mountainous areas. New Hampshire residents and visitors can splash in the waves during the summer, view fall foliage in autumn, and ski in the winter, all in the same state. There is really a wide choice of activities in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire residents also, unfortunately, have a wide choice of drugs to choose from. Some of them are legal to sell and purchase (alcohol), while others are not. All of them, however, can cause addiction.

New Hampshire residents that participated in a substance abuse survey proved just how much variety there is, both in the types of drugs used, the amounts in which they were used, and the people who used them. 5,321 residents took part in the survey, and these are just a few of the results.

Alcohol use, both alone and with other drugs, was highest, with 1,874 residents reporting only using alcohol, and 1,328 reporting using both alcohol and other drugs. Marijuana use was next, with 952.

Smoked cocaine use was almost evenly divided between males (58.4%) and females (41.1%). Further, smoking was the method of administration most often used by New Hampshire residents who use cocaine.

Numbers are just numbers, however, and they only tell part of the story. They don't tell how many families were torn apart as a result of drug addiction in New Hampshire. They don't tell how many serious injuries or deaths may have occurred as a result of drug addiction. In fact, they can actually serve to depersonalize the severity of drug addiction, and this can be a bad thing.

Thankfully, those who operate and work at the 51 drug abuse treatment centers in New Hampshire do see faces, and not numbers. To them, each person is an individual, even if that person suffers from the same or similar addiction as another.

One of New Hampshire's treatment centers has a very novel approach to drug addiction treatment. Patients at this particular center actually live on what is considered can be considered a working farm.

The center itself is considered a residential treatment center. The rooms resemble those that would be found in an "ordinary" farm house, rather than a more institutional or facility setting. In addition, patients participate in activities that can revolve such agricultural things as farming and "sugaring" (basically, making syrup).

Those who do not feel that, even in a recovery program, they are suited to farming can participate in other things such as crafts or culinary activities. The idea is to give a person direction and purpose, but if one just happens to learn a new skill, then so much the better.

Drug abuse treatment itself is modeled after 12-step programs; however, each person's treatment protocol is adapted for that person. There is no "one size fits all" approach to drug treatment, because what works for one may not work for another.

There are also conventional treatment facilities available, some of which are also residential treatment centers. Each of these can offer the services needed by New Hampshire residents who are ready to begin life again without drugs or alcohol as part of it.

These can range from those that offer treatment to adults only or adolescents only. Some facilities, including residential treatment centers, may be gender-specific; that is, only women or only men are at that location.

Some may be able to handle those who need to undergo detoxification before starting drug treatment; others require that that process have already been completed before a person enters the facility.

Some are equipped to handle those who need to remain on-site 24/7 for a period of time (these are considered in-patient programs); others only have facilities for out-patient treatment (patients must report at certain times for counseling sessions and other rehabilitation procedures, then leave and return home until the next scheduled session.)